Girdling tool



Feb. 19, 1929.

A. M. SMITH GIRDLING TOOL Fneq March 28. 1927 Patented Feb. 19, 1929. l v

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' Application filed March 28, 1927. j Serial No. 179,153.

around the vine, and then to pick out the bark between such cuts with the point of the knife. This form of work is slow and cannot be done uniformly, inasmuch as the depth of the cuts cannot be regulated, as the hand pressure a'pplied varies, at different. times and under'va- 1 rious conditions, and the vines to be girdled are not usually of uniform rotundi My 'inventionrelates to'a girdling-tool which will automatically cut and peel a uniform strip of bark at a uniform depth and which will clean itself of the bark cut away from around.

vine stocks. These and other objects hereinafter disclosed are accomplished by means of the invention hereinafter-.g-. described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig.- 1. shows a side view of the tool. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig.

" 1, showing the cutting edge of one of the jaws; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig.

1. Fig. 4 shows the assembled jaws, 'disclosing their operative relation when in use.

In said drawing I have showntwo jaws 4: and. 5 which-are hinged together b a pivot 6. Extending from said jaws are andles 7 and 8. As willbe noted on the drawing, the

arrangement of the parts described is such that by pressing the handles 7 and 8 together the jaws .4 and 5 will separate and by releasing the, hand pressure, a spring 9 will automatically press the handlesapart and close the jaws. The inside of the jaws have aninwardly" curved cutting edge. The cutting edge or'member is formed on the jaws asfollows. Two parallel rows of blades are attached to, or formed integral witheach jaw,

each row consisting of a plurality of approximatelyuniform sized blades 11 and 12 which I arespaced apart in' the row the arrange-- ment of the two rows on each aw being such that the interstices in one row are directly opposite to the blades in the other -row. B

opposite rows, the cross blades being positioned at approximately right angles to the bla'des in the two parallel rows. The line ades are formed connecting the blades in of the cutting edge as thus formed on each aw might be termed as approximately right angle meandering. The cutting members are positioned on the jaws so they are adja cent. The approaching portions .orfaces'of' the jawshave concave cutting, blades, the

line of the cutting blade on each-jaw describinga series of approximate ri' ht angles assembled so that a plurality 0 open 1'? lial channels are formed, the openings in adjacent channels being on opposite sides of the blade.

In operating this device the "handles are pressed together which movement opens'the. aws, a vine is then inserted-between the jaws and the ressure on the handle is then released s11 cient to permit the spring to close the jams or grasp the vine. By glving the tool ashgrtradial movement the strip of bark isseparated from the vine. Inasmuch as the depth of the cut is regulated by the tension of the spring, the cut is approximately uniform. As shown in the drawing, the recesses or 'channels'in the jaw formed by the meandering line of the cutting edge slope outwardly to the .side' faces of the jaw, and 4 this shape assists in cleaning the tool of the cut out portions of the bark. The widths of I the intersticesxare narrower at the cutting edge than toward the back of the jaw or blade. This shape likewise prevents the cut pieces of bark from being wedged in the knife.

While a leafspring is shown, any e uivalent spring means can be adapted for t e use disclosed. a

Having described my invention I claim adapted to be held in a yieldable closed posi- \tion by spring means, the approaching portionsvof the jaws havin blades positioned thereon so that the line 9 the cutting edge of said blade is a series of approximately right angle meanderings.

1. A girdling tool comprising two jaws- 2. A girdling tool comprisingtwo jaws pivoted so that they can open and close in relation to each other,.handles attached to the jaws adapted to open the jaws when the handles-are pressed together, spring means adapted to move the jaws in a closed relation, a cutting edge on the approaching face of each jaw, the line of said cutting edge describing a plurality .of approximate right angles joined together so that aplurality of open channels are formed, adjacent channels being openonopposite sides.

3. A girdling tool comprising two combined 2 1,702,801 jaws and handles pivoted together so that by cutting blade on each jaw describing a series pressing the handles together the jaws will of approximate right angles assembled so automatically separate, and by pullin the thataplurality of radial'channels are formed, 10

handles apart the jaws will assume a c osed .the openings in adjacent channels being 0 5 relationship, spring means for closing the opposite sides of the blade.

jaws, the approaching ortions of the jaws having concave cutting lades, the line of the ALFORD MERRILL SMITH. 

